Tinker Bell (Blu-ray)

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This is a big title for Disney, billed in press releases and teasers as the first time we hear Tinker Bell's voice. So here's your first "Tinker Bell" quiz: is that voice provided by a) Lucy Liu, b) Raven-Symoné, c) America Ferrera, d) Kristin Chenoweth, e) Anjelica Huston, or d) Mae Whitman?

The answer is Whitman, who gave voice to Shanti in "The Jungle Book 2" and Leslie in "Teacher's Pet." But the other actresses also play fairies in this Disney direct-to-home-video release. Liu is Silvermist, Raven-Symoné is Iridessa, Ferrera is Fawn, Chenoweth is Rosetta, and Huston is Queen Clarion.

John Lasseter, who's oversees all things Disney animated these days, says on one of the bonus features that they did their homework. Animators studied nature, they studied the original J.M. Barrie "Peter Pan," and they studied the 1953 Disney film version. But they cheated a bit on characterization. For one thing, obviously, they invented not only Pixie Hollow, the place where Tink came from, but an entire history for one of Disney's most beloved minor Disney characters. Yes, minor. But the challenge and the fun was to make her major, and the Disney crew does a pretty good job. Faithful to the original, though, she's not.

The promo "bio" on Tinker Bell says, and I quote, "She is spirited, rebellious, impatient, determined and persistent . . . yet, always charming and loveable. She has a talent for tinkering, and when she is called on to save the day, "Tink" discovers the importance of her own true talents." Fair enough. But they forgot "possessive," "jealous," and "ruthless." This character got a bit of a whitewash once she got top billing; then again, it is an election year, and reinventing oneself seems to be a national sport. Still, I can't help but think of that 1953 classic in which a furiously jealous Tink tries to have poor Wendy Darling killed, simply because she was a female to whom Peter Pan had taken a liking. This Tinker Bell bears no resemblance to that tantrum-prone fairy.

With "Tinker Bell," I expected an origin story--something that would explain where Tink came from, how her personality developed, and how she and Peter Pan got to be so tight. How is it, for example, that a single fairy comes to take up residence in Peter Pan's little corner of Neverland? Maybe that will come in one of the other Tinker Bell movies, since Disney announced four Tinker Bell titles would be released as a series. And trust me, it won't stop there. Up next is "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure," which is slated for Fall 2009 release. Presumably, all of them will take place in Pixie Hollow, a section of Neverland. And for your second quiz, which of the following is NOT a part of Pixie Hollow: a) Tinker's Nook, b) Silverbell Lane, c) Pixie Dust Tree, or d) Sunflower Meadow? The answer is "b," but there are so many cutesy names for places that they all seem plausible.

As I watched "Tinker Bell," the first thing I noticed was almost a given: Disney's first-rate 3-D CGI animation, which is stunning as usual. Then I started getting a feeling of déjà vu, and not because of the 1953 Disney classic in which we all first saw Tinker Bell, who's since been spreading her pixie dust all over our TV screens at the start of every "Wonderful World of Disney" show and every Disney DVD and Blu-ray release. "Tinker Bell" felt to me like a derivative of "Barbie: Fairytopia," "The Little Mermaid," and "A Bug's Life," with an identity crisis thrown in for good measure.

Like any society, Pixie Hollow has a hierarchy. Everyone has his or her place except for poor Tink, who was recently born (fully grown) into their midst. She's so new that she doesn't know what type of fairy she is. Some are flower fairies, some are animal fairies, some help each of the four seasons come each year, and some are tinkers, who invent and repair things. Of course, anyone who can associate the name "Tinker Bell" with "tinker" knows where this is headed, so we're not exactly dealing with a suspenseful plot. But we watch as Tinker Bell, like Ariel, shows an attraction for things humans lost or discarded. We watch as Tinker Bell, like Flick, tries invention after invention with no success, and is ridiculed for her trouble. And we watch as Tinker Bell, like the main fairy in "Barbie Fairytopia," is tormented by the others because she comes up wanting. Like all of them, Tinker Bell gets her day of vindication, though by the time this is over we're still left wondering how in the world she hooks up with Peter Pan, who makes nary an entrance. Wendy peeks in on the periphery, and we get a flyover London, Pixie-style, but that's as close as we get to the 1953 animated classic.

Is it any good? Well, the animation blows away the "Barbie" fairy series, from the fluttering fairy wings to the "Ratatouille"-style control that Tink exerts on a cute little mouse she rides like a cowgirl. And in truth, the film is one that little girls especially will find absolutely enthralling. Boys? Not so much. Other than a couple of goofy tinkers and some ministers of seasons, there aren't any male characters to interest young males. And adults certainly aren't part of the target audience. Walt Disney had the idea that family shows should appeal to adults too, and while theatrical releases have aimed for that lofty goal, that hasn't been the case with direct-to-home-video. The animation is certainly something to savor, but I can't say that the facile plot is anything that will hold an adult's attention. This is something to watch with your little girl, and for that purpose there are far worse movies for adults than "Tinker Bell." What makes it palatable for adults is oddly enough the same thing that limits the film: those familiar tropes from "A Bug's Life" and "The Little Mermaid," and the underlying promise that we might learn something about Tinker Bell that will help us better appreciate "Peter Pan."